Garlic Scape & Cannellini Bean Spread
Every summer I do prepare one garlic scape recipe that’s both easy and uber nutritious. I serve this spread with whole grain crostini or crackers and use any leftover to help fill a sandwich filling with sliced tomatoes. Certainly, you can use just about any legume in place of the cannellini beans such as edamame, chickpeas etc. You can make this a day or several hours in advance of serving.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Any hard/winter squash will do here. The key is to roast the squash first, sort of caramelizes it, really bringing out its the sweet, buttery flavor. (The other nice thing about roasting the squash is that you don’t have to peel it!) Don’t be afraid to improvise with the amount or type of broth, cider, or wine you might have on hand. Give yourself time to make this soup mid-day to serve for dinner. Great leftover too!
Blueberry-Zucchini Muffins or Quick Bread
Zucchini tend to grow quickly and flourish in the summer months, but can be difficult to use as fast as they accumulate in the kitchen. Blueberries too are popular with our summer palates as they offer bright, refreshing bursts of flavor, and are top dogs for good health. Combining zukes and blues make for moist muffins with added nutrition. While modifying the ingredients to boost the fiber content and reduce the amount of both saturated fat and sugar, my tasters ranked them high. I hope you will too!
Chicken, Fruit, & Crisp Greens Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette —Refreshing!
I was asked to bring a chicken salad for a ladies lunch earlier this month and wanted to avoid anything too heavy, weeping with too much mayonnaise. A crisp greens salad with tender chicken and ripe fruit make for a lovely, light meal. I found this recipe from Mark Bittman to be easy, different, and refreshing.
Southwest Breakfast Egg Scramble "Muffins"
These savory high protein breakfast muffins are great grabs on the way out to work, school, or hiking. Whenever I have leftover quinoa, this recipe comes to mind. If you don’t have any cooked quinoa on hand, it’s fast and easy to prepare while other ingredients are prepped. They freeze well for a grab-‘n-go microwave meal later.
Shortcake: Blueberry, Peach, Strawberry
When strawberry, blueberry, peach, and plum season peak, this shortcake recipe showcases the juicy-sweetness of these fruits. This recipe is so easy to prepare, and these individual shortcakes freeze well. They are much healthier than the refined flour, shortening-packed varieties available commercially.
Harvest Tomato & Cucumber Quinoa Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh is a great way to use a surplus of summer cucumbers and fresh tomatoes—even “B” or blemished tomatoes still have great taste and nutrition. Quinoa adds a super nutritional twist—its high protein content makes this a great main dish. Leftover, this tabbouleh is a great bite when you’re on the run.